FALL RIVER — When Bristol Community College President Jack Sbrega introduced the task force meeting for South Coast Rail on Tuesday, he said an academic setting was appropriate to debate a controversial project that communities have long sought.

He may not have known how prescient he was.

Sharp differences of opinion rang out on the heels of Jean Fox, project manager of the South Coast Rail, updating the $2.2 billion project envisioned to impact 31 southeastern Massachusetts communities that loosely make up the task force.

“South Coast Rail is important. It is the link we need to make the area prosperous to the best of its potential,” Fox concluded after a 15-minute rail update to an audience of nearly 50 people from throughout the region.

Fox gave her relatively detailed update in the context of the state Legislature preparing to approve a far-reaching transportation bond bill to officially authorize South Coast Rail and fund MassDOT’s $255 million in capital investment projects over the next five years.

If the Senate follows the unanimous vote by the House and the bond bill is signed by Gov. Deval Patrick, this rail project can enter the critical design and permitting stage, she said.

But when specifying environmental and other mitigations the planned route through Stoughton must address, several audience members criticized the data and approach.

When these trains start running, it will both decrease 300,000 daily vehicle miles on highways and “preserve 10,000 acres of green space,” Fox reported.

“Saying there are protection areas, does not necessarily mean they will be protected,” said Kyla Bennett of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.”

“The Hockomock Swamp in Raynham is what you’re bisecting with a train. How is that protected?” challenged Bennett, who said she’s served with the task force since its inception two years ago.

She called the MassDOT information “disingenuous” and questioned it being stated publicly.

Steve Smith, executive director of the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District, described the “land-use modeling” that shifts development away from priority areas of protection.

She said last fall when Secretary of Transportation Richard Davey adopted the Final Environmental Impact Statement/Final Environmental Impact Report certificate of the U.S. Army Corps’ conclusion that an electric train through Stoughton was the best alternative with the least environmental impact, Chapman said their group’s comments were not included.

Page 2 of 2 - She shared with The Herald News a 10-page report that the TRWA issued to the state on Oct. 29.

Fox said discussions and negotiations are ongoing with federal and state agencies pertaining to mitigations needed along the route from Fall River and New Bedford through Myricks Station in Beverly, to Stoughton and South Station.

One Stoughton resident, Lou Gitto, criticized the impacts his town would endure. He said during projected peak train times four trains would travel both north and south every hour. He estimated the train gates would come down and stop traffic “every 7½ minutes.”

Referring to Fall River and New Bedford, where travel miles to South Station would be 52.7 and 55 miles, respectively, Gitto said, “Maybe the South should support Stoughton’s position if you want this to go through in any foreseeable amount of time.”

Fox emphasized the meetings Davey and MassDOT representatives are having with concerned officials from Stoughton and other communities.

Fox estimated the design and permitting would take roughly two years.

She spoke at the outset of her presentation about planned progress to improve freight lines, bridges and crossings in the triangle between Taunton, Fall River and New Bedford. That would bolster economic development in the near future, she said.

Paul Chasse, CEO of the Greater New Bedford Association of Realtors, announced that with their state and national organizations they had $81,000 in seed money to “help assure completion” of the South Coast Rail. Their advocacy group would begin next month.

That prompted Bennett to question if the 31-community task force was performing its role to examine impacts upon them. “We are not all cheerleaders of the project,” she said.

“We’re simply announcing that this is what is happening,” Smith said. “It is not an endorsement.”

The task force, which includes planners from the cities and towns, generally meets every two or three months.